* E-mail asking me what my opinion about the current state of the health care debate is, and my response is: There’s a debate? Maybe I’m reading an archaic definition, but “debate” is not synonymous with “ignit bellowsacks at public meetings shouting stupidities to drown out discussion because doughy tearsquirter Glenn Beck told them to,” which is what appears to be going on at the moment. I’m sad for the Republicans, conservatives and others with actual, substantive objections to the current health care plan wending through Congress that a genuine debate is off the boards in favor of a strategy of uninformed tools making asses of themselves for the benefit of television cameras, but this is where that side is at right now. I will say, however, that when the whole of your health care debate strategy is to scream down any discussion at all, you’re pretty baldly acknowledging that you’ve got nothin’.

* Beyond that I have nothing at all of interest to say about anything in the real world at the moment. Hey, I was at a Worldcon for five days and had a day of travel and recoup on either end. It’ll take me a couple days to get back into the swing of things.

* Dipping back into the Hugos for a second, I’ve had a couple of questions asked of me recently, being a) when will I win a fiction Hugo, and b) am I now going to put “Hugo Award Winner” on the cover of my novels. The answers are a) Really not up to me, although I would like to win one, of course, and b) Not yet. I have two Hugos now, but neither is for fiction writing, and I’d need to have a fiction Hugo before I’d be comfortable plastering “HUGO WINNER” on the cover of a novel. I’m happy to note “Hugo winner” in biographies, jacket blurbs, etc, because why not? It’s true. But context matters. So as far as I’m concerned, still not on novel covers. Now, bear in mind, please, that what goes on covers is not always up to authors. I may not always get a vote. But when I do get a vote, that’s my vote.

* After expressing my fannishness about Montreal, I was asked if there was anything I didn’t like about the town. I wasn’t there long enough to develop a real deep negative opinion about anything, but I will offer this: No offense, Montreal, but your bagels aren’t all that. They’re different, I’ll give you that, and I did like them. But I think they were a bit oversold to me as omg the most amazing bagels EVAR, and I just didn’t feel that level of love for them. Please don’t hate me.

Subterranean Press tells me that they are down to their last 150 copies of the print version of METAtropolis, which means it’s very possible it will be sold out on release date (!). There’s no plan at the moment to reprint the hardcover, and no deal in place for a softcover version, so if you want to get it in print, well, hurry.

SubPress also tells me that it is down to the last 75 signed hardcover copies of Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded, which as you know is the book I just won a Hugo for, and doesn’t expect to keep them in stock long, so again, hurry if you want one. Also a reminder that if you buy it through Subterranean directly, you’ll also get shipped the Waiting for Athena chapbook as part of the bargain.

And while we’re at it: Remember that you can also get the limited signed edition of The Last Colony from SubPress (it should be shipping reasonably soon), and that the holidays will bring my fantasy novella The God Engines and the chapbook “Judge Sn Goes Golfing.” Save up!

And for the limited edition completists, I’ll note SubPress has recently acquired the limited edition rights for Zoe’s Tale, so that’s on the slate for the future. Yes, apparently I like working with Subterranean Press.

This week at my AMC column,I answer two questions about G.I. Joe and one question about the Hugos, and no questions about the existential nature of being. Because, really. That one’s hard to answer in an 800-word column, which is in itself ostensibly about science fiction film. It’s all about focus, people. Anyway, head on over and make my corporate overlords happy they hired me.